Homecoming, The Aftermath
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: Bayleef adjusts to Ash's departure for Houen, while Tracey adjusts to Gary's return from Johto.
1. Chapter 1

"Bayleef, go back!"

"Bay?" The confused Pokémon halted in its tracks.

"No, Bayleef," Ash said, pointing in the direction of the Oak laboratory at the top of the hill. "You're staying with Professor Oak now."

"Bay?" The Pokémon's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Aww, Bayleef, don't make this any harder than it already is." Ash drew his faithful Pokémon friend to him in a huge bear hug. "I've told you already…you have to stay here with Professor Oak and Tracey now," Ash said, stroking the Pokémon's head lovingly. "This is gonna be your new home. Professor Oak and Tracey are gonna take good care of you and Cyndaquil and Totodile and Noctowl and Phanpy. You're really gonna like it here."

"Bay-bay!" ["But I want to come with you!"] cried the distraught Pokémon, burying her head in Ash's jacket.

"Bayleef, I told ya' already…you can't come with me. It's just gonna be me and Pikachu in Houen. That's just how it is."

"Bay! Bay-bay!" ["I don't care! I want to come with you!"] The Pokémon began crying even harder.

"Look, Bayleef. It won't be so bad here. Professor Oak has lots of land for you to run around on. Tracey will feed you all the Poké Chow you can eat. You can run and play and do whatever you want with the other Pokémon here. And I promise that I'll call you and see how you're doing, okay?"

"Bay," the Pokémon sniffled.

"Okay, then," Ash smiled, giving his Pokémon friend one last pat. "Let's not say goodbye. How about see ya' later?" 

Bayleef's lower lip began trembling once more. 

"See ya' later, Bayleef." 

Ash turned and started heading down the hill to his house.

"Bay!" Bay!" ["Wait! Wait!"]

But Ash kept right on going, not bothering to look back. He didn't want Bayleef to see the tears in his eyes.

--- 

"Here you go, Bayleef," Tracey said, putting a dish filled to the brim with Poké Chow in front of her. "This flavor is a favorite of all the grass-type Pokémon here. I think you're really gonna like it."

The Pokemon sighed listlessly and turned away.

"Oh. Guess you're not hungry, then." Tracey said, picking up the bowl of Pokémon food. "Well, if you get hungry later, let me know." 

The Pokémon curled up into a tight ball and shut its eyes.

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Poor Bayleef, Tracey thought as he headed back up the hill to the laboratory. As he passed by one of the ponds that dotted the landscape of the Oak Pokémon preserve, he saw Totodile entertaining the other water Pokemon with tales of his travels with Ash.

"Totodile!" the Pokémon cried enthusiastically, leaping up into the air to demonstrate one of the many exciting battles it had been in.

Tracey smiled. It was good to see that at least some of Ash's Pokémon were happy being at the lab.

"Bayleef is still refusing to eat?" Professor Oak said when Tracey came into the lab with a full bowl of Poké Chow in his hands.

The boy nodded and put the bowl down on a nearby lab bench. "Yeah. I'm getting worried about her, Professor." 

"So am I, Tracey," Professor Oak said, putting down his scientific journal. "All of Ash's other Pokémon have made a smooth transition to life here at the lab…except for Bayleef."

"I knew she'd miss Ash," said Tracey. "But I didn't think she'd miss him that much. Do you think that maybe she's sick?"

"I'll take a look at her this afternoon to make sure there's no physical reason as to why she's not eating, but I think the real cause of her loss of appetite is the reason you just mentioned. She's missing Ash terribly. Bayleef was always very attached to Ash, probably more so than any of his other Pokémon."

"Yeah, but if she doesn't start eating something soon…" Tracey flicked aside one of the brown Poké Chow nuggets sitting in the bowl. 

"I know, Tracey. I know. Just keep trying to tempt her appetite with…hello, Gary."

"Hey, Gramps," replied a teenage boy with spiky brown hair who had just entered the lab. "Hi, Tracey."

"This is a nice surprise, Gary," Professor Oak smiled at his grandson. "Come to say goodbye before heading off to Houen?"

"Uh…that's what I wanted to talk to you about, Grandpa." Gary drew closer to the lab bench where his grandfather and Tracey sat. "I'm not going to Houen."

"I don't understand, Gary," Professor Oak said. "Aren't you going to continue your Pokémon training?"

The boy shook his head. "No. On my back here from Mount Silver, I realized that as much as I like training Pokémon, I think that being a Pokémon Master isn't what I want to do with my life."

"Gary, just because you lost at the Silver Convention, it doesn't mean that you have to give up training," Professor Oak said reassuringly. "Everyone loses sometime. You can't give up on your dream just because of one loss."

"The Professor's right, Gary," Tracey chimed in. "You can't give up on training just because Ash…"

"That's not the point," Gary interrupted. "Losing to Ash in the semifinals isn't the reason why I'm giving up Pokémon training. Besides, Ash and I buried the hatchet. We're friends again." Gary smiled knowingly. "I've got a lot of respect for that guy and his training skills. He's gonna be a Pokémon Master someday, no doubt about that."

"But what about you, Gary? I thought that was your dream too," said Tracey, confused.

"It was, for a while. Matter of fact, my rivalry with Ashy-boy was one of the things that kept me going. But during my travels I realized that I was more interested by the Pokémon themselves and all the amazing things they could do -- not just their attack skills. Their ability to evolve, to adapt, just the fact that there are so many more out there waiting to be discovered…Pokémon really are fascinating creatures. But I'm sure you guys know that as well as I do."

"I don't understand, Gary," said Professor Oak, who was just as confused by his grandson's words as Tracey was. "If you're not going to Houen to train, then what are you going to do?"

"That's why I came here, Grandpa," Gary replied, putting down his backpack. "I want to go into research. I've decided that I want to spend my life studying Pokémon just like you."

After the initial shock of Gary's surprising announcement had worn off, Professor Oak leapt to his feet and embraced his grandson heartily. 

"Isn't it wonderful, Tracey?" Professor Oak said, smiling broadly at his lab assistant. "Now I'll finally have someone to follow in my footsteps."

Tracey, who was still numb with shock, gaped open-mouthed at the pair until the weight of Professor Oak's words had sunk in. _Someone to follow in…but what about me? _

"Tracey? Tracey, are you all right?" Professor Oak said, looking over the top of his grandson's head at his stunned-looking assistant.

"I…uh…" Tracey forced a weak smile. "Yeah. Guess I'm still in shock at Gary's announcement."

"I think this is the happiest day of my life," Professor Oak said, embracing his grandson once more. "I'm so proud of you, Gary."

"I love ya' too, Gramps," Gary smiled back. 

"Now look at what you've done," Professor Oak smiled, wiping away a tear. "You've made an old man cry! You know what? This calls for a celebration. Tracey, go get us some of those chocolate chip cookies Delia brought up earlier. Let's have a party to celebrate the next Professor Oak!" 

Tracey, still wearing a forced smile, slid down from his lab bench and headed down the hallway to the kitchen. Once he was out of earshot of the pair in the lab, the boy slammed his fist into the wall, making the Caterpie that was sitting nearby jump in surprise.

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Damn you, Gary Oak.

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To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

"So where should I get started, Grandpa?" Gary asked once he had finished his plate of chocolate chip cookies.

"Hang on, Gary. Let me finish this last cookie and…Tracey, you haven't even touched yours."

"That's okay, Professor," Tracey replied without enthusiasm. He pushed his plate of cookies in his boss's direction. "You can have them if you want."

"Are you sure, Tracey?" Professor Oak said, picking up another cookie. "They're quite good. Delia outdid herself this time."

"Nahh…I'm not feeling very hungry," Tracey replied listlessly.

"You're not getting sick, are you, Tracey?" Professor Oak said, concerned.

"No. I just don't feel like eating, that's all," the boy replied.

"Speaking of which," Professor Oak said, stuffing the last of Tracey's cookies in his mouth, "I said I was going to take a look at Bayleef. Come on, Gary. Physical examination of Pokémon is an important part of research, and this'll be a good way for you to start learning the physiologic differences of the various types of Pokémon." Professor Oak hopped up from his lab bench and started searching for his medical instruments.

"Are you coming, Tracey?" Gary asked.

"No, I'll just be in the way," Tracey said with a slight tinge of resentment in his voice. 

"I'll admit Tracey is much better at drawing blood and giving injections than I am," Professor Oak smiled at his grandson, handing him his medical kit. "All of the Pokémon run when they see me coming at them with a needle. Tracey, you'll have to help Gary learn your technique."

"Oh…sure," Tracey replied unenthusiastically.

"Tracey, are you sure you're feeling all right?" Professor Oak asked once more. "You don't seem like yourself today."

"I'm fine," Tracey replied unconvincingly.

Professor Oak studied the expression on his assistant's face. "You look like you're not feeling well, Tracey. Why don't you go lie down and take it easy for a while? That way, Gary and I can spend the day together, and I can get him acquainted with the workings of the lab. He can start learning how to do your chores."

"Fine," Tracey said sullenly, heading upstairs.

"What's wrong with Tracey, Grandpa?" Gary asked as the two headed outside to the grass Pokémon section of the preserve. "He looked like something was bothering him."

"Perhaps he's coming down with something," Professor Oak replied. "I'll check in on him later. Meanwhile, let's go take a look at Ash's Bayleef."

"Ash's Bayleef?" Gary echoed. "What's wrong with Bayleef?"

"She hasn't been eating since she came here," Professor Oak said, pointing in the direction of the Pokémon that was still curled up in a ball underneath a tree. "I think she's fretting over Ash, but I want to make sure there's not some physical reason for her loss of appetite. And your first duty at the lab is assisting me with Bayleef's examination," Professor Oak smiled at his grandson. 

"I've never given a Pokémon a physical before," Gary admitted slightly nervously. "Other than checking to make sure my Pokémon were okay after rough battles."

"Don't worry, I'll teach you," Professor Oak said, opening his medical bag. "I'll teach you everything I know about Pokémon." He grinned and tousled his grandson's hair. "The next Professor Oak."

That gesture wasn't lost on Tracey, who was watching the scene from the window of his room. Frowning, Tracey threw himself on his bed with a frustrated sigh. 

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I know Professor Oak won't fire me -- he'll keep both of us on as lab assistants, of course. But I know he's going to spend more time with Gary from now on. I don't blame Professor Oak. Gary's part of his family, part of him; he's his heir. It's natural that he'd want to spend more time instructing the next Professor Oak in the workings of the Pokémon research facility that bears both of their names.

The next Professor Oak…Tracey shuddered at the thought.

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I was supposed to be Professor Oak's protégé…his successor. And now by coming back here, Gary's ruined everything. He's destroyed my lifelong dream. Thanks a lot, Gary.

"Marill?" squeaked a high-pitched voice from under the bedsheets.

"Hey, Marill," Tracey smiled at his blue mouse Pokémon. "I didn't know you were taking a nap here."

The Pokemon peeped out from under the covers and looked at its trainer worriedly. "Marill?" 

"It's okay, Marill," Tracey reassured his Pokémon, scratching its ears. "I just have a headache, that's all."

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A headache named Gary Oak, Tracey thought, cuddling his Pokémon to him and shutting his eyes. 

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To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

"Feeling better, Tracey?" Professor Oak asked as his assistant came into the lab.

"Yeah, I just had a headache, that's all." Tracey looked around. "Where's Gary?"

"He's out at the stables," Professor Oak replied, making a notation in his lab journal. "Visiting with his old Rapidash. Fireball was thrilled to see Gary again. Gary said he was going to take him for a ride."

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Hope Fireball tosses him into a pile of Snorlax manure, Tracey thought glumly, sitting down on the sofa next to Professor Oak's desk. "So how's Bayleef?"

"Except from being slightly weak from not eating, Bayleef is healthy physically. Emotionally is another matter."

"What do you mean, Professor?"

"I've seen this happen before in other Pokémon, especially Pokémon that have been abandoned by their trainers. They miss their trainers so much that they become depressed and stop eating."

"Isn't there anything you can do for Bayleef, Professor?"

"If she doesn't start eating in a day or two, I'll have to start her on intravenous fluids to get some nutrients into her. But I'm worried that even that may not be enough."

"Huh? What do you mean, Professor?"

"Tracey, sometimes Pokémon become so depressed that they give up on life. They lose the will to go on."

"Oh man. I didn't realize that Bayleef was in that bad a shape."

"Well, she's not to that point yet, but I'm concerned that it may come to that." He handed his assistant the bowl of Poké Chow that Bayleef had left untouched from earlier. "Why don't you try again and see if you can get her to eat?"

Tracey stared at the bowl of Pokémon food. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

Professor Oak looked at his watch. "Delia's coming over in a little while. She said that she was going to bring over a big cake and fix a special dinner to celebrate Gary's homecoming."

"Great," Tracey replied in a voice that indicated that wasn't how he felt. Dejected, he made his way outside and down to the tree where Bayleef lay. 

The Pokémon slowly lifted its head and regarded Tracey with listless eyes. "Bay."

"Hi, Bayleef. I brought you some more food if you feel like eating." Tracey sat the bowl of food in front of the Pokémon, who turned her head away. "Still not hungry, huh?" Tracey sat down next to her. "Still missing Ash?"

"Bay," the Pokémon nodded, her eyes filling with tears.

Tracey put Bayleef's head in his lap and began stroking it. "You're sad because Ash took Pikachu with him to Houen and not you, aren't you?"

"Bay," the Pokémon nodded again, stifling a sob.

"And you're wondering what you could've done differently so that Ash would've taken you with him?" 

"Bay." The Pokémon buried her face in Tracey's lap and began sobbing.

"Yeah, I know how it is, Bayleef." Tracey caught sight of Gary galloping on his Rapidash far off in the distance. "I know how it feels…like no one cares about you anymore. Like the other person…Pokémon is more important than you are. Like you don't matter."

"Bay?" The Pokémon lifted her head and regarded Tracey curiously.

"Yeah, Bayleef," Tracey sighed, cuddling the Pokémon closer to him. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Hello, Tracey!" a female voice called out cheerfully. The boy looked up and saw Delia coming up the hill with a huge, elaborately decorated chocolate cake. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"What, Mrs. Ketchum?"

"The news about Gary, of course!" Delia smiled. "I swear, your boss is so happy that I think he's about to pop! I don't think I've seen Samuel this happy in years."

"Yeah…yippee," Tracey replied gloomily.

"What's wrong, Tracey?" Delia said, confused. 

"Nothing's wrong, Mrs. K.," Tracey said, gently lifting aside Bayleef's head and standing up. "Everything's perfect now that Gary's back. I've gotta get back to the lab now."

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I wonder what that was all about, Delia thought as she watched the boy head back up the hill.

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To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

"Wow, Mrs. Ketchum, I don't think I've eaten this good in years." Gary patted his full stomach. "You're a terrific cook."

"I hope you saved some room for some cake," Delia smiled, handing him a huge slice. "And you too, Tracey. Growing boys like you need to eat."

"What about us grown boys?" Professor Oak smiled in Delia's direction, holding out his plate.

"You know, when Gramps first told me that the two of you were dating, I thought it was a little weird at first," said Gary, taking a bite of his cake. "Especially with Ash and me being rivals and all. But I really like the idea now, especially if it means that I get to eat like this every day. Food at the Pokémon Centers in Johto sucked most of the time."

"Well, eat all you want, Gary, dear," Delia said, scooping up a huge blob of chocolate icing and plopping it onto Gary's plate. "There's plenty more where that came from."

"Mmm…when are the two of you gonna get married?" Gary grinned mischievously, licking the icing from his fork. 

Both Professor Oak and Delia turned bright red.

"Um…well, we…Tracey, don't you want any cake?" Delia asked, noticing that the boy hadn't even touched his slice.

"No, I'm not really hungry tonight, Mrs. Ketchum," Tracey said, putting down his napkin.

"Is your head bothering you again, Tracey?" Professor Oak asked, concerned. "Maybe you should take something for it."

"No…I…I think I'm gonna go check on Bayleef. Good night, everyone." Tracey stood up and headed out of the dining room.

"Poor Tracey," Delia said as she watched the boy head outside. "He must be coming down with something. He looked like he didn't feel well."

"He's probably worried about Bayleef," Professor Oak replied, taking another bite of cake. "He's been spending extra time with her trying to get her to eat something."

"Bayleef? What's wrong with Bayleef?" asked Delia, concerned.

"She's been missing your son terribly. So much that she's refusing to eat," Professor Oak told her.

"Poor thing. Maybe I'll bring up something special for her to eat tomorrow and see if that helps," Delia said.

"I think she'll like that," Professor Oak smiled, holding out his empty plate. "Besides, I don't know how anyone can resist your cooking, Delia. Can I have another slice of that wonderful cake?"

"Me too, Mrs. Ketchum," asked Gary, eagerly holding out his plate. 

Tracey glumly wandered down to the grass Pokémon section of the preserve. The dinner had been every bit as bad as he had figured it would've been.

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Gary, Gary, Gary. If I have to hear about how wonderful it is that Gary's back one more time, I'm gonna scream.

"Hey, Bayleef," Tracey said unenthusiastically, plopping himself down next to the Pokémon that was still lying under a huge maple tree.

"Bay," the Pokémon replied softly, lifting her head.

"Want something to eat, Bayleef?" Tracey asked, holding out a dinner roll that he had picked up on his way out the door.

The Pokémon sniffed at the piece of bread uninterestedly and turned away.

"Yeah, I'm not too hungry tonight either," Tracey said, throwing the roll in the direction of a flock of Pidgey. The birds momentarily scattered, then returned a few moments later and began devouring the roll eagerly. "I've kind of lost my appetite, too."

"Bay?" the Pokémon asked curiously, laying her head on Tracey's leg.

"Yeah, Bayleef. I understand exactly how you're feeling," Tracey said as he began stroking the Pokémon's neck. "You're upset because Ash chose Pikachu instead of you."

"Bay," the Pokémon nodded, her eyes filling with tears once more.

"Yeah, it's pretty unfair, isn't it, Bayleef? You work hard, give it your all, pour your heart and soul into it, and you still get dumped. You probably hate Pikachu right now, don't you?"

Bayleef shook her head vigorously. "Bay." 

"Come on, Bayleef," Tracey said, scratching leaf atop the Pokémon's head. "Be honest. Aren't you jealous of Pikachu? Aren't you angry at Pikachu because Ash chose him? Because he's been Ash's Pokémon longer than you've been? Because it's not fair that Ash should choose Pikachu just because he's been closer to him longer than you?"

The Pokémon shook her head hesitantly, paused, and then nodded slowly. "Bay."

"Yeah. It's not fair, is it, Bayleef? That someone should choose someone else over you just because they've known them longer? You're just as smart and important as they are, not to mention that you're a hard, devoted worker, but that doesn't matter in the long run, does it? All it comes down to is who's been around longer."

"Bay?" the Pokémon asked questioningly, looking up at Tracey.

"No, life's not fair at all, is it, Bayleef?" Tracey said, resuming his stroking of the Pokémon's neck. "It's not fair at all."

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To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Things weren't any better the next morning.

"Ready to get started, Gary?" Professor Oak said cheerfully as he entered the lab, completely ignoring Tracey. "Excited?"

"Yeah, Gramps. I can't wait," Gary said enthusiastically. "What do I get to do first?"

Before Professor Oak could answer, Tracey, feeling resentful at his boss's slight, picked up a shovel and handed it to Gary.

"Huh? What's this for?" Gary asked curiously.

"It's for picking up Pokémon manure," Tracey explained with a smile, all the while visualizing Gary covered with Pokémon dung from head to toe. "All lab assistants have to start out scooping up manure so they can get used to being around the Pokémon and the Pokémon get used to having them around. Right, Professor?"

"Well, I…actually, I was going to let Gary start out in the lab assisting me with the Kakuna and Metapod experiment," Professor Oak explained.

"But…I was helping you with that, Professor!" Tracey stammered in disbelief.

"I know. But there's plenty of other work around the lab for both of you." Professor Oak handed the shovel back to Tracey. "Why don't you go clean up after the Pokémon? Gary, why don't you come with me and I'll show you around the lab?"

Tracey, fuming with anger, stormed out of the lab. 

An hour later, Tracey was covered in sweat. He normally didn't mind cleaning up after the Pokémon, but today he completely resented it. And today he was taking out his frustrations with Gary by throwing himself into his work.

"Just because he's Professor Oak's grandson, he thinks he's too good to be shoveling manure," Tracey grumbled as he flung another forkful of Ponyta manure aside.

"Hey! Watch it, Tracey!" squealed a female voice.

Tracey looked up and saw a red-haired teenage girl peering over the door of the stable.

"Hi, Misty," Tracey greeted his visitor. "What're you doing here?"

"I came over to see Bayleef," the girl explained. "When I called earlier to ask Professor Oak a question about Politoed, he mentioned that Bayleef wasn't feeling well. I decided to take the morning off from the Cerulean City Gym and come over."

"How is life as a Gym Leader again?" Tracey asked as the two headed down to the grass Pokémon section of the preserve.

"Well, even though my sisters are normally a bunch of airheads, they did do a pretty good job of running the gym while I was gone. It's just that it's going to be hard running it all by myself," the girl sighed. 

Tracey noticed the girl's sad expression. "You didn't really want to come back to the Cerulean City Gym, did you?"

Misty shook her head. "No. I'd rather be with Ash in Houen, but since I'm one of the Four Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City and the other three Sensational Sisters are currently on a trip around the world…" She handed Tracey a postcard with a picture of three smiling teenage girls in sunglasses and bikinis. "It's my responsibility to take over the duties of Gym Leader of the Cerulean City Gym. Don't get me wrong, Tracey…I like being a Gym Leader again, and Corsola and Politoed love the gym. It's just that…"

"…you miss Ash." Tracey finished.

"Yeah," the girl replied sadly.

"That makes two of you," Tracey said, pointing at the Pokémon curled up under the maple tree in the far corner of the grass Pokémon preserve.

"Oh, Tracey," gasped Misty at the sight of the Pokémon, who was much thinner than Misty had remembered. "I didn't realize that Bayleef was in that bad a shape." The girl hurried to Bayleef's side.

"Bay?" The Pokémon raised its head and made a slight attempt at a smile at the sight of Misty.

"Oh Bayleef," Misty said, giving the Pokémon a big hug. "You poor thing." The girl reached inside her backpack and brought out a sandwich. "Here. You need to eat something. You're getting too thin."

Bayleef sniffed at the sandwich and turned away.

"Oh Bayleef, I know how you feel," the girl said, stroking the Pokémon's head. "I miss Ash too. I miss him a lot."

"Bay," the Pokémon agreed, resting its head on Misty's arm.

"This morning when I woke up, I was expecting to see Ash and Brock just like always," Misty said sadly. "And when I realized that I was back in Cerulean City, I felt so sad."

"Bay," the Pokémon nuzzled Misty's arm comfortingly.

"Aw, thanks, Bayleef." Misty gave the Pokémon a kiss on its forehead. "Yeah, I know how you're feeling. Ash may be a big mouthed show-off most of the time, but he's a pretty unforgettable guy, isn't he?"

"Bay."

"But I have to live my life, and he has to live his. Even though I'd rather be in Houen with him, I have responsibilities here. I can't keep missing Ash forever. I have to move on with my life…just like you do, Bayleef."

"Bay," the Pokémon sighed morosely.

"But you'll always have the good memories to fall back on, even during the bad times," Misty smiled.

"Bay," the Pokémon replied, unconvinced.

"I'll come back and visit you again, Bayleef," Misty said, standing up. "In the meantime, try to eat." The girl put the uneaten sandwich on the ground next to Bayleef, then reached inside her backpack, pulled forth a red and white baseball cap, and put it on her head.

Tracey had seen that baseball cap before. "Hey, isn't that Ash's hat?"

"Yeah," Misty smiled, adjusting her ponytail. "He gave it to me when we said goodbye."

"You love him, don't you, Misty?" Tracey said, noticing the wistful look in the girl's eyes.

"Yeah, Tracey. I do," Misty replied softly. "But I talked to Brock the other day, and he said he was going to try to catch up with Ash in Houen. He promised me that he'd keep the girls away from Ash." 

"Probably because he wants all the girls for himself," Tracey chuckled, playfully nudging Misty's arm.

"Yeah, good ol' girl-crazy Brock," Misty grinned as the two headed down the path leading out of the preserve. "So how are things here? Professor Oak told me that Gary's back. Back to stay, apparently."

Tracey's smile disappeared. "Yeah, looks that way."

"What's wrong, Tracey? You don't seem happy about Gary's news."

"Because I'm not," Tracey replied, sinking down on a nearby rock.

Misty sat down next to her friend. "I don't understand."

"Oh, it's just that everyone loves Gary. Good ol' perfect Gary," Tracey replied, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Gosh, Tracey. I don't think I've ever seen you this bitter before."

"Well, why shouldn't I be, Misty? Ever since Gary came back, I'm practically invisible to everyone else. Especially to Professor Oak." Tracey picked up a stick and hurled it into a patch of shrubbery, flushing out a Spearow in the process.

"Oh, I think you're overreacting, Tracey. Professor Oak is just excited to have his grandson back, that's all. He hasn't seen Gary for a long time, and I'm sure they have a lot of catching up to do. After he's been back here for a few days, things will go back to normal again."

Tracey shook his head. "No they won't, Misty. Things are never going to be the same again."

"What are you talking about, Tracey?"

"I'm talking about the fact that Gary has decided to give up on training and become the next Professor Oak. He's going to quit being a trainer and be a researcher instead."

Misty was stunned by her friend's announcement. "Wow. That's pretty amazing news."

"And Professor Oak is thrilled, of course," Tracey continued. "So thrilled that he's letting Gary work on the research project that I had been helping him with until now." 

"Tracey, have you talked to Professor Oak about this? Have you told him how you feel?"

Tracey stared at Misty in disbelief. "Are you kidding, Misty? Telling your boss that you hate having his grandson around isn't a good career move."

"Tracey, Professor Oak isn't the type of person who would fire you just because you're jealous of Gary."

"I'm not jealous of Gary!" Tracey shot back. "It's just that…ever since I was a little kid, my dream was to work with the great Professor Oak and eventually become his successor." 

"Well, you're here at Professor Oak's lab, aren't you? What's the problem?"

"The problem, Misty, is that Gary just waltzes in here announcing that he's going to be a researcher and the next thing I know, he's taking over my job."

"Oh, Tracey, I think you're over-exaggerating. Gary's been out on the road training for the last couple of years, while you've been here working at the lab. There's no way that Gary can learn how to do what you do in just a couple of days."

"But Professor Oak is making sure that Gary learns how to do my job," Tracey sighed, standing up. "Speaking of which, I'd better get back to the stables. I'll see you later, Misty."

Misty watched in silence as Tracey headed down the path and disappeared on the other side of the hill.

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To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Tracey had finished with his chores, he was in a black mood. And the sight of Gary in a lab coat did nothing to help Tracey's mood.

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Now he's even dressing like Professor Oak, Tracey thought bitterly as he entered the lab.

"Hello, Tracey," Professor Oak smiled in the boy's direction. "I was just showing Gary the Weedle that's an important part of the Kakuna experiment." He turned his attention back to his grandson. "Now as I was saying, Gary, this Weedle was raised in temperatures in the 30-degree Celsius range. Do you notice anything different about it?"

"Well, it's a darker shade of orange than normal," Gary said, bending down and patting the worm Pokémon's head. The Weedle made a happy noise in reply.

"Careful of the stinger, Gary," Professor Oak warned. "I wouldn't want you to get stung during your first full day as my new assistant."

Tracey, who had been seething with resentment during the entire scene, finally had had enough. Not only had Gary stolen his job, but he was wearing one of Professor Oak's lab coats and now was petting his favorite Weedle -- the one that he had raised from an egg.

"That's not the right way to pet a Weedle, Gary," Tracey growled, shoving the younger boy aside. "You have to…"

The Weedle, startled by Tracey's sudden outburst, swung around and sank its stinger into the boy's left hand.

"Ow!!" Tracey began cursing violently as the Weedle's venom excruciatingly pulsated its way into his hand. 

"Tracey!" shouted Gary, pulling the frightened Weedle aside. "Oh, man…are you okay?"

Tracey swore in reply.

"Gary, will you please go get me some Weedle antivenin," Professor Oak said, taking charge of the situation. "Sit down, Tracey. It'll slow the spread of the venom." He led the injured boy to the Pokémon examination table.

"Uh…okay, Grandpa." Gary opened a nearby cabinet and was confronted by an assortment of glassware. 

If Tracey hadn't been in so much pain, he would've gotten great pleasure out of seeing Gary blundering aimlessly around the lab looking for the medicine cabinet.

"It's the red cabinet on the wall behind us, Gary," Professor Oak instructed his grandson. 

"Oh…right." Gary opened the cabinet to reveal a vast assortment of bottles and vials of every shape, size, and color. 

Despite his agony, Tracey smiled at the sight of Gary frantically searching through all the various bottles for the Weedle antivenin.

"Grandpa, where is it?" Gary asked, tension rising in his voice. "Which bottle is it?"

"The green one with the picture of a Weedle on it," both Professor Oak and Tracey answered in unison.

"Oh, okay...hang on…found it." Gary dashed back to his grandfather's side with the bottle.

"Thank you, Gary. Now see if you can find a 5 cc syringe, please," Professor Oak asked.

"5 cc syringe…right." Gary began pulling open all the drawers of the closest lab bench.

__

And you thought you could do my job, Gary, you idiot, Tracey thought with perverse satisfaction before another wave of burning pain went shooting up his arm.

"Gary, the syringes aren't in there," said Professor Oak. "They're…" Tracey reached inside the drawer next to his leg and tossed the correct syringe to Professor Oak. "Oh. Thanks, Tracey." 

Gary's eyes widened as Professor Oak calmly filled the syringe with the green antivenin. "Grandpa, what are you doing?"

"Let's see…2 cc's should do it." Professor Oak put the bottle back down on the bench. "Gary, whenever you work around wild Pokémon, there's always the potential of injury to yourself or your lab assistants -- hold out your arm, Tracey." Professor Oak searched for the vein in his assistant's arm. "And especially in emergency situations like this, there may not be enough time to call a doctor. That's why it's important that you have a knowledge of first aid for both humans as well as Pokémon."

Both Tracey and Gary winced as Professor Oak inserted the needle into Tracey's arm and injected the antidote.

"There, Tracey. Now sit there quietly for a few minutes until the antivenin takes effect." Professor Oak patted Tracey's shoulder reassuringly. "Situations like this happen more often than you think, Gary. Matter of fact, not too long ago I got cracked in the head by a Cubone practicing its Bonemerang attack. Tracey was the one who had to patch me up then. He did a great job bandaging the gash in my forehead…" He lifted a shock of gray hair to show his grandson an inch-long scar. "…but I still have a little reminder of that episode."

__

Take that, Gary, thought Tracey as the throbbing pain in his arm began to subside a little.

"That's why you need to stay calm and…" Professor Oak looked around. "Where did Weedle go?"

"It's over there, Grandpa," Gary said, pointing to the orange worm that was calmly nibbling on the potted plant in the corner. "I'll get it."

"No. I'll get it," said Tracey, jumping up from his chair. Unfortunately the moment he stood up, Tracey became lightheaded and sank to the floor. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was pushing away Gary's helping hand.

__

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

And much to Tracey's dismay, Gary's was the first voice he heard when he drifted back to consciousness. 

"Is he gonna be okay, Grandpa? Shouldn't we call a doctor or something?"

"No. There's no need. Hypotension – low blood pressure – is a common side effect of Weedle venom. Besides, the antivenin is working already."

"How can you tell, Grandpa?"

Tracey felt his injured arm being lifted.

"See? The swelling in his hand has gone down significantly already, and the redness is fading." 

"Oh yeah. I see what you mean."

"And there's no sign of shock since his color and vital signs are good. He'll be fine once he comes to." 

Tracey felt his arm being gently lowered to the floor once more. 

"Gary, why don't you keep an eye on him while I put this stuff away? Check his pulse again and see how he's doing."

__

Oh great. Now Professor Oak is using me to teach Gary about first aid, Tracey thought as Gary's fingers touched his wrist. 

Tracey's eyes shot open, and he snatched his arm away from his rival's grasp.

Gary jumped in surprise. "What th'…? Oh, you're awake. Hey, Grandpa! Tracey's up."

"How are you feeling, Tracey?" Professor Oak asked, hovering over his semiconscious assistant. "We were worried about you."

"Wha…what happened?" Tracey asked groggily.

"You got up before the antivenin had time to work and fainted," Professor Oak explained, helping Tracey to sit up. "Come on, Gary. Let's get Tracey upstairs and into bed."

"Bed…? No, I'm okay, really." Tracey made an attempt to stand up, swayed dizzily, and nearly fell flat onto his face.

"No, Tracey. You need to rest for a little while," Professor Oak said as he and Gary helped Tracey upstairs to his bedroom. 

"Professor, really…I'm okay," Tracey insisted as Professor Oak covered him with a blanket. "I can still help you with your experiment."

"No. It wouldn't be a good idea to risk your getting stung again," Professor Oak said, propping Tracey's head up on a pillow. "Don't worry…Gary will help me out today. It'll be a good way for him to get acquainted with the workings of the lab. You just rest now, and either Gary or I will be upstairs to check on you later."

"Yeah, get some rest, Tracey," Gary added. "And don't worry about a thing. I'll do all your chores."

__

I bet you will, Tracey thought angrily as the door shut. 

Tracey moaned and leaned back on his pillow. 

__

What an idiot I am. I was so ticked off at Gary working on my experiment that I ended up taking myself out of commission.

--- 

"Phanpy!" ["Come play with us, Bayleef!"] the little elephant Pokémon said happily as it, Cyndaquil, and Heracross approached the despondent Bayleef. Phanpy jumped onto the stag beetle's horn, and Heracross tossed the giggling Pokémon skyward.

"Cynda!" ["Me next!"] cried Cyndaquil as it watched Phanpy do a flip in midair and land safely on Heracross's horn. 

"Phanpy! Phan!" ["Try it, Bayleef! It's fun!"] The happy Pokémon urged its friend.

"Bay. Bayleef." ["No. You kids go play somewhere else.']

"Cynda?" ["Are you still feeling sad, Bayleef?"] The little fire mouse Pokémon asked its friend.

"Bay," the Pokémon nodded.

"Cyndaquil." ["I was sad too, at first."]

"Phan," ["Me too."] added the other Pokémon.

"Cynda-cynda-quil." ["But now, we've made so many new friends here that we haven't had time to miss Ash and Pikachu."] Cyndaquil climbed atop Heracross's horn. "Cynda?" ["Are you sure you don't want to play with us?"]

"Bay. Bayleef." ["I'm sure. Now go away and leave me alone."]

"Phanpy?" ["Do you think Bayleef is gonna get better, Cyndaquil?"] the little Pokémon asked its friend as the three headed for the meadow on the opposite side of Bayleef's tree.

"Cyndaquil. Cynda-cynda-quil." ["I don't know, Phanpy. But I do know someone who might be able to help."]

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To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Professor Oak knocked on the door of his assistant's room and then stuck his head inside the door. "Feeling any better, Tracey?" 

The boy shrugged his shoulders in reply. "Okay, I guess."

Professor Oak examined the boy's arm. "Except for that small red sting mark, your hand appears to be back to normal. Feeling up to helping me out in the lab? I need your help with something very important."

Tracey's face brightened. _Finally._ _Professor Oak needs me._

"Sure, Professor Oak," Tracey said eagerly he sat up and kicked off his blanket. "What do you need help with?"

"I want you to help Gary learn his way around the lab. Show him where everything is. And teach him how we do things around here. That way he'll be able to help us out the next time there's an emergency."

"Oh," Tracey replied flatly. 

__

Gary again. It's always about Gary.

Tracey leaned back on his pillow. "On second thought, Professor, I don't feel so hot. Maybe I'll just rest a bit longer."

"Still not feeling well?" Professor Oak said, concerned. "You shouldn't be having any aftereffects from the Weedle sting by now." He lifted the boy's wrist and began taking Tracey's pulse.

"Professor, I'm not…"

"Shh, Tracey," Professor Oak said, looking at his watch. "Hang on for just a…twelve times six is…"

"Seventy-two."

"Perfectly normal," Professor Oak said, putting down Tracey's wrist. "So why don't you tell me what's really the matter?"

"Really…? Professor, there's not…"

"Don't try to fool me, Tracey," Professor Oak smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I might be old, but I'm not blind. Ever since Gary came back, you haven't been acting like yourself. Care to tell me the reason why?"

Tracey's heart began pounding wildly. "I…uh, I'm just worried about Bayleef, that's all," the boy replied uneasily, hoping that Professor Oak would buy his story.

But the older man knew better. "That's not the entire reason, is it?" 

Tracey didn't answer. How in the world could he tell his boss that he despised his grandson? 

But before Tracey could come up with another convincing story to explain his behavior, Professor Oak correctly deduced the real reason. "Tracey, are you upset because I've been spending most of my time with Gary lately?"

"Yes…I mean, no! No!" 

"You can be honest with me, Tracey. I'm not going to fire you for speaking your mind. Is that the real reason why you've been acting so odd lately?"

Tracey nodded slowly.

"Well, I will admit that I have been spending quite a bit of time with my grandson. I haven't seen Gary in a long time, and I'd like to get caught up on all his adventures and travels. But there's another reason why I've been taking more time to show Gary around the lab."

"Because you want him to take over your lab someday," Tracey answered gloomily.

"Well, it would be nice to have another Professor Oak in the family," Professor Oak admitted. 

"You don't have to continue, Professor," Tracey said, reaching under the bed for his backpack. "I get the picture. I'll be out of here as soon as I…"

Professor Oak took the backpack out of his assistant's hands. "Tracey, put your backpack away. I don't want you to go."

"Come on, Professor Oak…now that Gary's back, you don't need me around."

"But I do need you around, Tracey. Where am I going to find another lab assistant of your caliber?"

"You've got Gary now."

"Gary doesn't know his way around the lab. That's why I've been spending extra time with him. That's why I've been hoping that you would help him out."

__

So he can replace me, Tracey thought glumly.

Professor Oak read the boy's mind. "Tracey, do you want to know the real reason why I want you to help Gary?"

Tracey shook his head.

"Tracey, you've been the best lab assistant I've ever had. I don't know how in the world I ever got along without you."

Tracey smiled slightly. "Thanks, Professor Oak."

"But I know that you're not going to be around here forever. It won't be long before you'll be heading off to college and starting your own research career. And I want to have someone of your caliber to replace you, otherwise everything around this place is going to go straight to hell the moment you leave."

Tracey chuckled.

"And that's why I want you to help Gary. That way, by the time you go off to college, Gary will be familiar enough with the lab that the transition from you to him will be seamless. Otherwise, I'm going to have to keep you here forever."

Tracey couldn't keep from laughing at that ridiculous remark.

"That's better," Professor Oak smiled. "So you see, Tracey, I really do need your help."

Tracey's smile faded, and his face grew serious. There was still one more question that needed to be answered. "Professor…can I…can I come back here someday and help you run the lab when I get my Ph.D.?"

"You'll always be welcome here, Tracey. And I'd love to have you back here when you're finished with college. But maybe you won't want to come back here." 

"Huh? What do you mean, Professor?"

"Don't limit your options, Tracey. That's what college is all about. Perhaps you'll decide that you don't want to come back here. Maybe you'll decide that you'd rather work with one of the other professors. Or maybe you'll decide to teach or start a lab of your own. Maybe you'll even decide that research isn't for you after all and do something totally different with your life. But no matter what you decide, you'll always be welcome here."

Tracey's smile returned. "Thanks, Professor Oak."

"You're welcome, son," Professor Oak said, patting the boy's shoulder. "Now come on downstairs and let's get Gary up to speed on how things work here at the lab."

"In a minute, Professor. Let me put my backpack away." As Tracey returned his belongings to underneath the bed, there was another knock at his door.

"It's open," Tracey called out.

Gary stuck his head inside the door. "Tracey? Where are…?" Tracey emerged from under his bed. "Oh, there you are. Feeling any better?"

"Hey, Gary. Yeah, I'm okay now. What are you doing up here? I thought you were downstairs in the lab."

"Gramps told me to run up to the attic and see if I could find one of his old sketchbooks. He said he wanted to show me some old drawings he did of Pokémon when he was my age."

"I know where those are. Come on, I'll show you."

"Thanks, Tracey," Gary said as the two boys climbed the stairs to the attic. "I didn't realize there was so much stuff around here. But then again, I haven't been around here much since I was ten." 

"Well, your grandpa's pretty glad that you're back," Tracey said, opening the door to the attic. "And he's thrilled about you wanting to become a researcher."

Gary suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Uh, Tracey, can I talk to you about that?"

Tracey was puzzled by Gary's expression. "Sure, Gary. What gives?"

Gary seated himself on one of the trunks in the dusty attic. "Ever since I got back I didn't have a clue as to how much work Gramps – _both_ you and Gramps – did around the lab."

Tracey leaned against one of the bookcases along the wall. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it eventually. I'll show you what to do."

"Thanks, Tracey, but I'm not sure that's what I want now."

"I don't understand, Gary. I thought you wanted to be a researcher."

"Don't get me wrong, Tracey. I do want to go into research. But I'm not so sure I want to spend all my time hanging around a lab all day like you and Grandpa do."

"Well, we're not in the lab all the time. There's plenty to do on the preserve." Tracey pointed out the window to the Pokémon moving about the grounds surrounding the Oak house.

"That's not what I mean, Tracey. I'm not so sure I want to stay in one place and do research."

"I'm not following you, Gary."

"Look…I think Pokémon are really fascinating creatures and I know I want to spend my life studying them, but I also like getting out and seeing the world. That was one of the best things about being a trainer – going to new places, seeing new things, having new adventures." The boy sighed wistfully and looked past Tracey's shoulder out the window. "I'm not so sure I want to stay in one place all the time."

"You don't have to, Gary," Tracey said, looking through the bookcase for Professor Oak's sketchbooks. "There are lots of scientists who spend most of their time in the field doing research."

"There are?"

"Sure. Like Professor Hale in Greenwood. He spends most of his time traveling to different parts of the world learning about the different types of legendary Pokémon. Like this one." He opened a sketchbook to display a drawing of a Suicune.

"Really? Now that's what I'd like to do. But…"

"But what, Gary?"

"But Gramps will be pretty disappointed. I know he's got his heart set on me taking over the lab someday."

"Maybe you should talk to your grandpa and tell him how you feel."

"Yeah, I guess I should. You know, if anyone should take over Grandpa's lab, it should be you, Tracey. You know this place from top to bottom. Gramps thinks you're some kind of superhuman."

Tracey stared at Gary in disbelief. "Really?" 

"Yeah. When I was on the road, every time I called to talk to him it was 'Tracey this' and 'Tracey that' and 'Tracey did so and so'. Man, I got so sick of hearing of hearing your name that I was ready to scream."

Tracey's faced brightened with surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. Grandpa thinks you're the greatest thing since the Poké Ball Transfer System. Not to mention that you don't get queasy around needles."

"Huh?"

"I hate needles. When Grandpa gave you that shot of Weedle antidote, for a moment I thought that he was gonna have to scrape both of us off of the floor."

Tracey chuckled. "I didn't know you hated needles."

Gary nodded. "Yeah. And I'm not keen on blood either. I don't see how you do it -- giving Pokémon shots, drawing blood, patching up Grandpa's forehead."

"Well, it just takes practice, that's all. You'll learn."

"Nahh, I know that part of research isn't for me. I'm not interested in studying Pokémon physiology like Grandpa. I'm more interested in how Pokémon behave and interact with each other."

"We do some behavioral studies here. We're currently studying how Bulbasaur is acting as the overseer of the Pokémon here on the preserve."

"Well, that does sound kind of interesting. But what I'm really interested in is endangered Pokémon. I want to see what I can do to keep certain types of Pokémon from going extinct."

"Wow, Gary. That's a pretty awesome goal."

"Thanks, Tracey. It's just I don't know how I'm gonna tell Gramps that's what I want to do."

"Just tell him what you told me and I think he'll understand perfectly," Tracey smiled.

Gary smiled back. "You know what, Tracey? You're right. Thanks."

"Come on. Let's head back downstairs. The Professor is probably wondering what happened to us."

__

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Cyndaquil and Phanpy led Bulbasaur to the tree where Bayleef lay.

"Cynda?" [" Can you do something to help Bayleef?"]

"Bulba." ["I'll try."]

As Bulbasaur approached the depressed Pokémon, Bayleef slowly raised its head.

"Bay." ["Hi, Bulbasaur."]

"Bulbasaur." ["The other Pokémon say that you're not eating."]

"Bay." ["Leave me alone, Bulbasaur."]

"Bulba. Bulbasaur." ["No. As overseer of the preserve, I have a responsibility to make sure all of the Pokémon here are happy and healthy."]

"Bay." ["Go away."]

"Bulbasaur. Bulba. Bulba-saur." ["Look, I know you're sad because you miss Ash. I miss him too. But your life is here at the lab now, and you have to get on with living again."]

A tear slid out of Bayleef's eye. "Bay. Bay-bay." ["Ash was my life. And I don't want to go on without him."]

"Bulbasaur!" ["That's it!"] 

A thick vine shot out of Bulbasaur's back and smacked Bayleef squarely between the eyes. The Pokémon leapt to its feet in surprise.

"Bay?!" ["What did you do that for?!"]

"Bulbasaur! Bulba-bulbasaur!" ["Get up! Every Pokémon here has a job to do, and I'm tired of you lying around here doing nothing but whining all day!"]

Bayleef growled angrily at its attacker. "Bay!" ["Leave me alone, Bulbasaur!"]

This time, Bulbasaur's Vine Whip hit Bayleef on the bottom, making the Pokémon jump straight into the air.

"Bulba! Bulba-saur! Bulba-bulba-saur! Bulbasaur." ["Get up! You're pathetic, the way you're sitting around here moping all day! Why in the world you think you're Ash's favorite Pokémon is beyond me! He likes only strong, confident Pokémon -- not whiny crybabies like you."]

Bayleef's eyes narrowed. "Bayleef…" ["You'd better take that back or…"]

"Bulbasaur?" ["Or you'll what, you big baby?"]

As Bayleef jumped atop Bulbasaur and the two began fighting, Professor Oak, Gary, and Tracey were making their way down to the grass Pokémon preserve when Noctowl fluttered down and landed at their feet.

"What's wrong, Noctowl?" Tracey asked the worried Pokémon.

"Coooo! Coo!" ["Bayleef and Bulbasaur are fighting! Follow me!"]

The three followed Noctowl down to Bayleef's tree and saw the two grass Pokémon struggling.

"Grandpa, what's going on? Shouldn't we pull them apart or something?" asked Gary.

Professor Oak shook his head. "No. We don't get involved with these kinds of squabbles. The Pokémon here resolve their disputes among themselves. Besides, I think this is exactly what Bayleef needs."

"To get the crap beaten out of it?" said Gary, confused.

"No. To get its spirit back," answered Tracey. 

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" the smaller Pokémon taunted as it effortlessly threw Bayleef to the ground with a Vine Whip attack. ["Look at you! You're so weak that you can barely stand!"]

"Bay! Bay!" ["Let me go! I'll show you!"] cried Bayleef as it struggled to get free from Bulbasaur's grasp.

"Tracey, go get Bayleef some food," Professor Oak said.

"Come on Gary, I'll show you where we store all the Pokémon food," said Tracey, motioning to the younger boy. 

A couple of minutes later, Gary and Tracey returned and discovered Bayleef lying on the ground panting with exhaustion while the triumphant Bulbasaur stood over it.

"Bulba-saur!" ["Now I know why Ash didn't take you to Houen – you're too weak!"] 

Spotting the bowl piled high with Poké Chow that Tracey had just laid next to it, Bayleef lifted its head and began gulping down the brown nuggets as fast as it could.

"Bay!" ["I'll show you who's weak!"] Bayleef said angrily between bites. "Bay-bay!" ["Once I finish this, I'm gonna kick your butt, Bulbasaur!"]

"Bulbasaur?" ["You and what army, wimp?"] Bulbasaur replied with a smile.

"Thank you, Bulbasaur," Professor Oak whispered to the Pokémon that was standing next to him.

"Bulba," the Pokémon whispered back. ["No problem."]

"Come on, boys. I think Bayleef is going to be just fine now," said Professor Oak with a satisfied smile.

As the three headed back up the hill to the lab, Tracey gave Gary a nudge. "Why don't you tell your grandpa now?" the older boy whispered.

"Tell me what?" replied Professor Oak. "I might be old, but I'm not deaf."

"Grandpa, I need to talk to you about something," said Gary, his expression serious. "Tracey, can you leave us alone for a while?"

"Sure, Gary. I'll head back to the lab while you two talk." Before he headed back up the hill, Tracey leaned over and whispered to Gary, "Don't worry. He won't fire you for speaking your mind."

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To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10

"So what did Professor Oak say when you told him the news, Gary?" Tracey asked as the younger boy came walking down the path to the grass Pokémon preserve.

"Gramps was actually pretty cool with it," said Gary. "He was a little disappointed when I told him that I didn't want to stay here, but he said that he thought that what I wanted to do was great. He said that he'd get in touch with Professor Hale and see if I could go on an expedition with him."

"Professor Hale is a pretty cool guy. You'll like him," Tracey said. "Matter of fact, he's looking for a new assistant."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Skylar, his old assistant, just finished his Ph.D. and went back to Houen to teach. Maybe you could take over his spot."

"Wow, that would be great."

"And Professor Hale has a daughter too."

Gary's eyes lit up. "Really? What's she like?"

"Well, her name's Molly. She's blonde, blue eyes, real cute, and wants to be a Pokémon trainer more than anything."

Gary slicked back his spiky hair, imagining the beautiful Molly Hale swooning over the handsome, dashing Pokémon trainer known as Gary Oak. "Well, maybe the great Gary Oak can teach her everything there is to know about being a Pokémon trainer." 

Tracey had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. "Oh, there's one more thing, Gary."

"What?"

"She's seven years old."

"Seven years…you sonofa…!" Tracey dodged a dirt clod that Gary sent flying in his direction. "You made me think she was a hot babe!"

"Well, she will be…in about seven or eight years from now," Tracey smiled.

"You jerk, I'm gonna kick your butt!" Gary leapt atop Tracey and the two boys started playfully wrestling.

And in another section of the grass Pokémon preserve, another pair was engaged in a playful struggle.

"Bay?" ["Give up yet?"] Bayleef had Bulbasaur in a chokehold with its Vine Whip attack.

"Bulbasaur. Bulba?" ["Not bad, Bayleef. But can you handle this?"] Bulbasaur shot a stream of Razor Leaves in Bayleef's face, causing the Pokémon to lose its grip on Bulbasaur. Then in the blink of an eye, Bulbasaur's Vine Whip shot out, seized Bayleef, and threw it to the ground.

"Bulbasaur. Bulba. Bulba-bulba-bulbasaur." ["You lose again, Bayleef. That's three out of three. You'd better keep eating your Poké Chow if you ever want to get strong enough to stand a chance against me."]

"Bay! Bayleef!" ["Just wait! You'll see!"] Bayleef dove into a nearby bowl of Poké Chow and began gulping the brown pellets with vigor.

Back in the other section of the preserve, Tracey had Gary pinned facedown on the ground and was ready to rub the boy's face into a mud puddle when a female voice caught their attention.

"What are you two idiots doing?"

Tracey looked up and saw a pair of pretty legs standing over him. "Oh, hi, Misty." He released his grip on Gary, stood up, and made an attempt to wipe the mud stains off of his shirt.

"I can't believe the two of you!" the girl said indignantly. "Tracey, just because you're jealous of Gary that doesn't give you the right to beat him up!"

"Jealous of…?" Gary stood up, wiped the mud out of his eyes, and turned to Tracey in surprise. "You're jealous of me?"

"Yeah, I _was_," Tracey told Gary. "Because I thought you were going to take over my job. But Gary's going to go Professor Hale's in Greenfield instead," Tracey explained to Misty. "We're friends now."

"If the two of you are friends, then why are you beating each other up?" said Misty, arching a disbelieving eyebrow. 

"It's what friends do," Gary said, grinning and pointing to two Pokémon at the other end of the preserve. "Like those two."

Misty gasped in amazement at the sight of Bulbasaur and Bayleef tussling with each other. "I don't believe it! Bayleef is back on her feet again?"

"Yeah, and eating like a Snorlax," Tracey smiled. "She's going to be just fine now."

"But how…? What made Bayleef want to eat again?" asked Misty, who stared in disbelief at the two wrestling Pokémon.

"Bulbasaur kicked her butt," replied Gary. "He told her to get over Ashy-boy and get on with life. Speaking of which, how are you doing, Misty?"

"Okay," Misty replied. "I just stopped by to pick up the medicine for Politoed that Professor Oak said he'd make for me. Politoed has a bad case of Poké-itis." 

"Yeah, Professor Oak said he had it ready for you. He's in the lab," Tracey told her.

"Thanks, Tracey. Well, you guys get back to fighting or being friends or whatever it was you called it." Misty replaced Ash's hat atop her red hair and headed up the path back to the lab while Gary watched with interest.

"Ash sure is one lucky guy," Gary smiled, studying Misty's legs appreciatively. "Think she'll get over him someday?"

"Forget it, Gary…she's taken," Tracey smiled. "Besides, you have Molly Hale waiting for you, remember?"

"Molly…? You bastard, I'm gonna kick your butt for leading me on like that!" 

Gary dove at Tracey, and the two boys fell into a huge mud puddle with a loud _splat_.

__

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11

"Be sure to give me a call when you get to Professor Hale's," Professor Oak reminded his grandson, giving him one last hug.

"Don't worry, Gramps. I will. Smell ya' later, guys." With a final wave, Gary turned and headed down the pathway that lead out of the preserve and eventually to the road that lead out of Pallet Town.

"Gary seemed pretty excited about going on an expedition with Professor Hale to search for that Entei-Raikou hybrid that was spotted in the mountains around the Sapphire Coast," said Tracey.

"Gary will definitely get to see the world if he decides to stay on with Spencer," Professor Oak said as he and Tracey started back towards the laboratory.

"Are you disappointed because Gary didn't want to stay here, Professor?" Tracey asked.

"Well, maybe a little. But nevertheless, Gary will someday be the next Professor Oak, and it's satisfying knowing that my grandson will carry on the family tradition of Pokémon research. He'll be the fourth-generation Oak to do so."

"But aren't you disappointed because Gary doesn't want to take over the lab when you retire?"

"Retire? Who said anything about retiring? I plan to keep working until I drop dead at my lab bench. Besides, there's no rule that says that my successor here at the lab has to have the same last name as I do," Professor Oak said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"That's good, because it looks like I'm going to have to stay here forever now," Tracey said with an equally mischievous grin.

"Stay here forev…oh! Don't worry about that, Tracey. When you go away to college, I'll find someone to help me out here. Do you know of anyone who might be able to help us out?"

"Well, how about your granddaughter?" 

"Oh, be serious, Tracey! You know that May wants to be a fashion designer. Matter of fact, she mentioned the other day that she thought I could use some 'hot new threads', as she so eloquently put it."

"Somehow I can't see you with an earring and a leather jacket, Professor," Tracey said, grinning at the thought.

"Neither can I," Professor Oak grinned back. "Besides, you wouldn't have another reason for wanting to have my granddaughter around all the time, do you?"

Tracey's face turned bright red -- he had a huge crush on May Oak.

And Professor Oak knew it too. "Who knows, Tracey," he said casually. "Maybe you'll be my grandson-in-law someday."

Tracey's eyes widened. "Grandson-in-...? Professor, all May and I have done is go out a couple of times! And we kissed once…but that's all, I swear! We're not…"

"And then after you and May get married, you could live here at the lab…"

"Married?!"

"And then you could raise your children here. Oh, I'd love to be a great-grandfather."

"Children?! Great-grandfather?! Ohhh…Professor, I think I need to sit down." A dazed-looking Tracey sank down onto the sofa next to his boss's desk.

"Oh, cheer up, Tracey," Professor Oak said, playfully thumping the boy on the back. "I know that you and May just started going out together, and I couldn't resist pulling your leg a little. But…"

"But what, Professor?"

Professor Oak's eyes narrowed. "If I catch you touching my granddaughter in any way that I think is inappropriate, I will sic Bulbasaur and its Vine Whip on you, lab assistant or not. Do I make myself clear?"

Tracey gulped anxiously. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now get up from that sofa, son. There's work that needs to be done, and I can't do it without my assistant."

Tracey smiled and stood up. Life at the lab was back to normal once more.

THE END


End file.
